Eight players selected to Athlon’s All-Big 12 team

PROVO, Utah– BYU football’s return to the conference means players will once again have the opportunity to earn individual league accolades.

That’s a good barometer of the best players in the conference. Unfortunately, that has been lacking for BYU over the past 12 seasons as an FBS Independent.

But that will change as they prepare to join the Big 12 Conference this fall. The Cougars will officially join the league on July 1, 2023, but preseason projections are in full effect.

Athlon Sports published its preseason magazine on Tuesday and with it will make its preseason All-Conference teams. For the Big 12, they fielded four teams.

Aidan Robbins is BYU’s top All-Big 12 selection

A total of eight BYU players made four All-Big 12 teams. However, none of the BYU players were selected as first-team selections. The highest was UNLV running back transfer Aidan Robbins.

Robbins was selected to the second team by Athlon. Devin Neal of Kansas and Richard Reese of Baylor were the Big 12 first-team picks in Athlon’s preseason picks.

BYU is one of four new schools in the Big 12 this season. They join UCF, Cincinnati and Houston. Only three of the four newcomers were named to the All-Big 12 first team. Those players were Houston WR Matthew Golden, Cincinnati DT Dontay Corleone and Cincinnati punter Mason Fletcher.

BYU WR Kody Epps and OT Kingsley Suamataia were named third-team offensive selections. The fourth team included OL Connor Pay, DE Tyler Batty, LB Ben Bywater, DB Micah Harper and punt returner Hobbs Nyberg.

BYU tied with UCF for the most All-Big 12 selections among newcomers. Cincinnati and Houston each produced five players.

Preseason Big 12 favorite Texas produced the most All-Big 12 selections with 20 selections.

BYU opens the 2023 football season against Sam Houston on Feb. 2. September in Provo. The Cougars then begin Big 12 action Sept. 23 in Lawrence against the Kansas Jayhawks.

An Athlon All-Big 12 team selection for BYU football

• RB Aidan Robbins, second team
• WR Kody Epps, third team
• OT Kingsley Suamataia, third team
• OL Connor Pay, fourth team
• DL Tyler Batty, fourth team
• LB Ben Bywater, fourth team
• DB Micah Harper, fourth team
• PR Hobbs Nyberg, fourth team

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Mitch Harper is KSLsports.com’s BYU Insider and host of the Cougar Tracks podcast (ROOM) and Cougar Sports Saturday (starting at 123 on Saturday) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU’s move to the Big 12 Conference on Twitter: @Mitch_Harper.

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